Accelerating the Transition to the Clean Energy Economy

Jobs

The wind industry’s rapid growth is putting hundreds of thousands of Americans to work designing, developing, building, and running our energy future. Most of those jobs are in rural communities.

Wind turbine technician is currently the fastest-growing profession in the United States, with an expected growth rate of 108 percent over the next ten years.

769,000

In 2015, domestic renewable energy jobs reached 769,000, the result of a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 6% since 2012.

Growth in the number and productivity of large turbine manufacturers is driving demand for local manufacturers to supply turbine subcomponents.

Today, over 500 factories across 41 states build wind turbines and the more than 8,000 components of a typical turbine. Many of these jobs are in the Rust Belt states, bringing employment right to the places where they’re needed most.

Local Revenue

Wind farms are an economic powerhouse for communities in rural areas. They mean revenue for landowners, jobs for local people, and tax revenue to fund local services.

$100 Billion Invested

Wind energy companies have invested more than $100 billion in low-income rural communities. In fact, that’s where about 70 percent of wind farms are located: in rural America. A recent report in Bloomberg found that assessed land values in some rural areas have doubled thanks to wind energy investment. The additional local tax revenue is being put to work in these communities, reducing deficits and rebuilding schools.

$900 Million/Year

“By 2030 rural landowners are projected to reap as much as $900 million a year by leasing land to wind developers.” —Alex Morgan, North American Wind Energy Analyst, BNEF

Supporting Our Future Farmers

Apex facilities are generating tax revenues that support local schools and students like Shiane.

Infrastructure Investment

In order to realize America’s clean energy future, we need to invest $50 billion to $100 billion in modernizing our electricity grid. That could potentially mobilize the U.S. rural economy in a way that hasn’t been seen since we built the Interstate Highway System.

The Future of Energy

Since 2008, wind and solar energy capacity in the United States has tripled.